Fun with a shark split...

[Angus]

A couple days ago I stopped by the leather guy's house, and as I was cashing out he said he had a shark hide split. The price was too good to pass up, so out the door we went. My first holster was alright, but not what I was looking for. I wore a junky nylon drop leg last year during deer season, and really liked it. So I went to work making a drop leg out of some shark split, and it came out WAY better than my first holster.

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff264/DeathPenalty23/DSC_0447.jpg

Its for my 5" model 60. I stitched in 5 cartridge loops, which ended up being a lot less painful than I thought it would be. It wears very comfortably. What do you guys think?

[Von Dingo]

I think you're getting the bug. It looks great for your second holster.

[Angus]

Yea, my dad scored a "Speedy Stitch" and 15 stamps in an upholstery leather buy about 12 years ago. He looked at this and handed me a paper bag with everything and said "Don't wear them out too fast." I think you're right about the bug. I need to get some better heavy leather than the garbage I just bought, and I'm doing something for my trap line pistol. It's an H&R 676 with some crazy maple grips and a fake case-color job. I'll be trying my hand at tooling and snakeskin inlay. I'm thinking a double mexican loop in black with white sea snake inlaid in the loops.

[Von Dingo]

Have you discovered Leatherworker.net? You can get lost in there.

Also, as for a concise helpful roadmap, check out How to make Holsters, by Al Stohlman. Some of it is kind of dated, but at the same time, a lot of the information is timeless. Will Ghormley's website has a good beginning to end on how he makes a holster.

As for the tooling, practice on scraps. If you want to try carving, practice, practice, practice, and the cheap carving knives are just that. Practice your lines with pen and paper, line quality is the beginning and end of your project.

This is one of the last one's that I completed.

http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/l532/mmontpetit/JimsThreeperosnsII.jpg

[Angus]

Carving is definitely out for me. I'm a piss poor freehand artist in every conceivable media, leather I am sure will be the same. I played around last night on a scrap with a crescent punch and a flower stamp. I did 3 mums that came out really well.

[rayban]

Angus, wow man....I've seen exotics used as trim and accents before but never the whole enchilada...pretty cool.

Von Dingo......beautiful work you do there!!

[stealthshooter]

Looks very nice! If I may suggest a nice way to lash the bottom of the holster to your leg.......Go and get a dog collar with the plastic pinch clips. I use one of those for my hip quiver and it works the best out of anything I have used!